Gnomes Need Love To
by Rassmussin
Summary: Carl gets in the middle of an investigation due to a personal relationship. Someone from Nick's past, an ex gf comes back into his life, and on top of it, they have a Giant to deal with. Will end up being a Nick/Kate shippy, of course.
1. Chapter 1

The idea for this story is from the mind of a very talented writer, angel who is unable to write it herself, so she handed the works on to me. Why can't she write it herself? Well, that is because a very annoying reader of hers is pressuring her to finish an extremely good fic of hers, entitled, "The Heat." So, I hope you all enjoy this one and I hope I can do her idea justice. Neither I, nor angel own SU2 or it's characters.

Captain Page paused during his morning debriefing to allow his nose to really concentrate. The mans nose sniffed the air like a dog's would, trying to pick up a scent. He eyed the little fella who just entered headquarters with the eyes of a man who had spent nearly his entire life finding the truth, sniffing (no punn intended) out liars, and just being a natural born detective. He was not alone on this. O'Malley also was watching Carl with great interest, a look of disbelief showing on his face. O'Malley's partner struggled to keep professional, and polite, as she distracted herself with jotting down notes in her handbook. Jonathan was perched forward in his office chair, obviously dumbstruck, (nothing new for him) at this new bit of information that just walked in. Page, always being graceful with his words, and never blunt, spoke first.

"Carl!" His booming voice snapped the gathering crowd back into reality. "Why don't you stink?"

Carl brushed nonexistant lint off of his newly pressed shirt and took a seat next to Detective Benson, reclining back as if the world belonged soley to him.

"Did O'Malley throw you in the tank of bleach again?" The superiors eyes darted back and forth from Nick to Carl, looking for one of them to confirm his conclusion.

"No, last time I did, the 1,700 gallons of bleach needed to be replaced. It was too dirty to use after that. Tank needed to be sanatized to. Lotta man hours went into that. The lab made me promise never to dunk Carl in the bleach tank again." Nick took a moment, and for a moment, the thought of never flipping the gnome over his head into the yellow liquid again showed on his face. He looked sad. Kate patted his shoulder, as if to console him. 

For a second, the Captains irritance was directed to O'Malley. "And your damn lucky I didn't take that cost out of your salary." Nick nodded, smirking.

"Carl!" The Captain was going to get his answer.

"I'm seeing someone." Carl said matter of factly. "And last night, we took a bath together. Actually, it wasn't just her and I, it was my fiancee, her sister, a friend of hers, and another friend of hers. We all played this lovely little game called hide the soap and the rules are..."

"Ugh!" Kate looked like she was going to be sick, resting her hand on her stomach, she turned away. Nick made sure Carl was looking at him when he made a face of pure disgust. Page was so shaken by the gnomes description of the evening before, he shook his head and walked away. He figured the solitude of his over looking office would shield him from the insanity of headquarters. "Jonathan, bring them all up to date on the new link." Page turned around as he reached the steps that would take him to the solitary confines of his office. "And Jonathan, close your mouth."

Nick leaned in on Kate, "You know those quarter machines for kids in the stores? There is a new one filled with lifesize plastic bugs. I'm trying for a fly. When I get one, I am going to place it on Jonathans tongue. All I keep getting are the centapedes, though." Kate rolled her eyes. "Hey, flycatcher, let's move on the debriefing, some of us haven't eaten breakfast yet today and would like to."

"What?" Life returned to Jonathans eyes again as he snapped out of it. "Oh, yeah, right, ok, so here's our latest link, I will let the drawing speak for itself." He punched a few buttons on his computer, bringing up a photo. For the second time that day, headquarters were left miffed.

"The link were after is cream style corn?" Nick paid no attention to the shhing that came beside him. It was just Kate, and he knew, if she was honest, she was thinking the very same thing.

"No. My research is in my briefcase. I had to improvise. Improvisation is the key to sucess, ya know." Jonathan said, looking proud of himself.

Kate laughed. "Why do you have a briefcase, I never saw you carry one before."

"It's new, and yes, I have one. A big one." Jonathan said innocently.

"We all have big ones." Nick said smuggly. "Well, aside from Carl."

Kate looked at Nick, who had his eyes on Carl. Carl didn't look pleased with O'Malley's comment.

Without looking at her, Nick added one for Kate. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Kate. I meant briefcases."

"Sure ya did. Can we get on with the show, here?"

"Ok, the Link were after is..."

"The Barry Manilow of Giants." Nick scoffed.

Kate threw her hands in the air.

"Um, no. Giant's don't, um, sing, O'Malley." Jonathan looked confused.

"Than do you want to tell me why the Jolly Green Giant is wearing purple bows in his hair and has a pink tu-tu on?" Nick was enjoying ever minute of this.

"It's marker, and I was trying to illustrate that the Giant we're after is a female." 

Nick again looked at his partner. "Did he just get through an entire sentence without saying the word "um?"

"Listen!" Kate scolded. "Jonathan, why didn't you just put up one of your photos of the Link actually responsible for this mess?" Resonable question.

Jonathan looked to the ground, than nervously to the above overlooking Captain Page. "I forgot my combination." He muttered.

"Instead of giving Jonathan a locker here, can we just get him a little hook with his name inside the picture of a fish or baby chicken or something?" Cracked O'Malley.

"Ok, Jonathan, if we are dealing with a Giant, why can't we easily see it?"

Jonathan pointed his finger at the blonde detective. "Good question, Kate." He pressed a couple more buttons on his computer, bringing up another picture of a regular looking woman with the same markered bows in her hair. "I got this picture from my mom's Woman's Day magazine. And the answer is, because they can chaaaaange into a human being looking thingy at will."

"Thingy?" Nick mocked his choice of words.

"The thing about Giants is they are notoriously envious and horribly jealous. Their self esteem is so low, ya know, cuz they are...ah, Giants, that they will themselves to be what they aren't, but they can only do this eight months out of the year."

"So, where do they go the other four months of the year, when they are in Giant form?" Another reasonable question from Kate.

"I don't know."

"Well do we know anything about them, like what kind of climate or area they are most likely to want to be in for those four months?"

"No."

"Do we know when this particular Giant's time as a human is up? When she will have to retreat for places unknown?"

"No." Jonathan looked like a pouting child as he rested his eyes on the ground.

"Do we know how to kill it?" O'Malley chimed in, getting a shove from Kate.

"No."

Nick sat with Kate in a bar after work over dinner, pretending to half tune her out as she badgered him on being too cocky at the meeting. It amused him when she did this, which is why he did it so often. She rambled on until a womans voice interupted her.

"Hi, Nicky."

Both off duty detectives looked up to see a very plain Zoe standing to the right of their table. "Zoe, when did you get back?" Nick stood up and hugged her, offering her a seat next to him. Kate gnashed her teeth. Before the woman sat down, she eyed Kate hereself. "Ah, this is my partner, Kate Benson. Kate, this is Zoe."

Always the classy Kate, she extended her hand to the woman, putting her own feelings aside. "Hi, it's nice to meet you, again."

The woman's smile tightened, but she shook Kate's hand anyway, sitting close to Nick. "Likewise." She than dismissed Kate by turning her body towards Nick. "I got in last week. Work brought me back."

Kate pretended to be busy finishing her dinner while the two caught up on their lives, though she was listening to every word, growing green with jealousy. Nick attempted several times to include her in the conversation, but Zoe was good at a subject change. Everytime Kate bit into a french fry, she imagined it was Zoe's plain jane little head. 

"We should go grab a drink, I mean, if you two are done." Zoe said, for the first time looking at Kate.

"In other words, you want me out of the picture as soon as possible. Good move." Kate thought to herself. She flashed her a smile, pretending like it didn't bother her that Nick's ex gf was back in town. "Yeah, we're finished. You two have fun tonight." Kate said, picking up the check from dinner.

"Kate, I got that." Nick reached for the check.

"It's my turn to buy." Kate was careful about adding in one last comment. "Besides, you bought last night." Shove it in her face that we have been spending time outside of work together, she thought.

"Wow, Nicky, mixing business with pleasure are we?" Zoe's voice got high when she asked this, to an annoying child like level. Kate wanted to smack her one just for being dumb, and she saw the fact that Zoe didn't look pleased when he didn't deny her accusation. 

"Night, Nick. I'll see you tomorrow. Nice seeing you again, Zoe." Kate turned to leave. A feeling of nausea was gripping her stomach, but it wasn't the food that was doing it. 

"Kate?" Nick called after her. "You sure your ok to get home?" Kate gave him a funny look. She knew Zoe was watching her, so she kept face. "Of course, see ya."

It wasn't like Kate to say anything unbecoming, but it was ok to think them. The entire ride home Kate picked her apart in her mind. "Flat chested, greasy haired, self centered, big assed bitch! Who the hell does she think she is anyhow? And that voice of hers. Can you get anymore whiny sounding? Nick won't want her again. She screwed it up for herself long ago." That's what Kate wanted to believe. But when she laid down to get some sleep, she wasn't so sure herself what Nick wanted. 


	2. Chapter 2

Carl strutted into headquarters the next day happy as a lark. He stopped by Page's office before he went on to torture O'Malley. "Morning, Captain Page. It's a great day today, isn't it?" Page didn't even bother to look up from his paperwork. "I would like to make an announcement before, during, or after debriefing today if I could. If you would be so kind. Captain? Think that would be possible?" Carl flashed a smile at the Captain, who glared back at him. 

"Carl. Go away!" 

As usual, Nick was a few minutes late for work. "Hey, Kate."

"How was your date last night?" Kate tried being civil.

"It wasn't a date. And second, you and I had plans, or so I thought, but you rushed out of their like there was a fire somewhere. Any reason?"

"I just figured you two had some catching up to do, and I thought you'd want to be..." Kate searched for the right phrase, "alone."

"People, debriefing, now." The Captain situated his fake hand into another position and watched the crowd gather. 

Throughout the discussion, Carl tugged, poked, and "eh hem'ed" to Page, reminding him he had something to say before everyone was dismissed. "Before you go, Carl has some sort of announcement to make. Carl, make it quick, some of us have work to do."

"Sure thing, Cappy." Carl's smile didn't fade much when Page's lip curled at him. "I would just like everyone to know, my friends, my co-workers, those I am forced to look at everyday of my life," Carl looked at Nick, "that I am getting married. Again. I have asked a lovely young girl to marry me, and she has accepted my proposal. Now we are..."

"I thought Centor downstairs in the hole was a male. I'm confused, because you said "girl." Nick smirked.

"Funny, O'Malley. The woman who will be my bride is human. And you back off. Not that I would expect you to understand something so beautiful since you repress your feelings for a certain someone I know but..." Carl looked right to Benson.

"Carl!" Nick lost his grin and became serious real fast. Had it not been for the Captain towering above him, he would have aimed his service weapon at the gnome for extra insurance he would keep his mouth closed.

"Than be nice." Carl jotted down in a memory card in his brain to hit O'Malley up for fifty bucks later on for keeping his mouth shut. "And remember this later. As I was saying, we are registered at Macy's, and we would all expect you not to forget that toasters and cheap champaign glasses do NOT make good wedding gifts. Remember, it's not the thought that counts, it's the amount you spend." 

Nick wanted nothing more than to publically humiliate and mock Carl over this supposed wedding, but he kept his insinuations to himself. Carl had too much on him.

"Carl, who is she?" Kate seemed impressed and a whole lot taken aback.

The gnome straightend up, a look of remenising came across his face. "The love of my life." Carl said with a sigh. "And don't let your partner smear her good name, Kate."

Kate laughed. "What is her name?"

Carl was just about to answer when Page pushed him aside. "Although I am warmed by this bit of news, we are at work, and we all have a job to do, so let's get moving. We aren't being paid to listen to love stories. That's done on your own time people..." Page looked down at Carl. "And gnome."

Nick decided the two would follow up some leads outside the office. "I'll meet you in the car, Kate." When she was out of sight, Nick dragged the little gnome by his beard to the medical lab where there were less ears. The Captain ignored the screams and sounds of a struggle. He wasn't around when only one emerged.

Fifteen minutes later, in the car, Detective Benson became aware of a whimpering sound. It persisted. Finally, she turned to her partner and questioned him about it.

Nick got a look of joy on his face when he answered her. "It's Carl. Ductaped. We need his help on this one, and for some reason, he's being tight lipped. But I know how to get him to talk."

"Please tell me it doesn't involve household cleaning products." Kate said ryely.

When Nick opened the trunk of the car, Kate turned away in a huff, although she said nothing. Encased in a massive amount of silver tape, was a body. Two eyes peered out from a small opening along with a set of nostrils. "Now since your mouth is justifiably covered, what your going to do is blink once for yes, twice for no. Got that?" O'Malley's tone was as if he was talking to a two year old. The gnome blinked once. "Good. Now, where is the Giant? Do you know?" Two blinks. Nick rummaged through the trunk, shoving the body this way and that, not carefully I might add, until he retrieved something that fell from the gnomes pocket. It was a blue velvet box. 

"What's that?" Kate inquired, peeking over her partners shoulder to get a better look.

"Not what I was looking for, not lethal enough." Nick opened the box. Inside was a locket, one he recognized. "Where did you get this?"

"Mmmhmhmmmhm." Nick removed the tape so he could better understand the gnome. 

"Talk."

Carl licked his lips and made a face. "Ducttape sure doesn't taste how it used to. Take the rest of it off and maybe we'll talk."

Nick cut the tape off the gnome, too distracted by the jewlery to care that his torture method on Carl was over. The gnome shoved off the rest of the tape and sighed. 

"Well?" O'Malley seemed low on patience. "Where did it come from?"

"Let me see." Kate reached around Nick and grabbed the box. She gasped when she opened it. "Carl, you stole this from Nick? How could you?"

"He didn't get it from me." Nick said half paying attention to what was going on around him, more aware of his thoughts now. "I put it in her coat pocket right before she left, when I drove her to the airport. Someone stole this from her."

Kate handed the box and the locket he once gave to Zoe back to Nick. "Well, at least you can give it back to her now." 

Nick looked in the trunk to get an answer once and for all from Carl, but he was gone. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Well how would you explain it than?" Nick's voice was elevating and he was showing his anger.

"I don't know, maybe he just picked it up at a pawn shop or something."

"Your saying that Zoe would pawn a locket I gave her?"

Kate rubbed her eyes. As much as she would love to believe the necklace meant absolutely nothing to her, she didn't want to hurt Nick's feelings by leading him to think that. "No, I don't. But there has to be a reasonable explanation for it.''

"Why? Because Carl is so honest? Because he would never steal? Because his rap sheet is clean? Is that why you think that? Let me tell you something, Carl is a weasel, not only is he a weasel, but he's a weasel that steals whatever isn't nailed down and another thing..."

"Your yelling at the wrong person here."

"I'm not yelling..." Nick was yelling. "...and you tell me why you think he didn't steal it!"

Kate's yelled a response, but it was more out of frustration and wanting to be heard over O'Malley, rather than anger. "Because he's your friend! Now stop yelling at me!"

Nick took a deep breath in. "I'm s..." Nick stopped before an apology could be made. "I just want to find out how he got it, that's all."

Two hours later, and fourty six known hiding places Nick knew to look for the gnome turned up nothing. The detectives decided to get back to headquarters to begin their research on the link.

By six pm, most of the officers had gone home. Nick set his files aside and shut down his computer. 

"Time to call it a night?'' Kate did the same to her desk. 

"Yeah, sounds good to me."

"Want to try that mexican resturant you were talking about last night?"

Nick shook his head. "I can't."

Kate's heart dropped. "Have plans?"

"Yeah."

"With Zoe, I presume?" 

"She invited me to dinner at her place tonight, catch up a little on stuff."

"Didn't you do that last night?"

Nick turned back towards her. "Kate." A wide grin crossed his face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were sounding a little on the jealous side. Maybe your our Giant that has a problem with the mortal sin of envy."

"Oh, please." For a moment, Kate was sure she was blushing the color green. "Your my best friend, I'm simply asking how your date went last night. It has nothing to do with jealousy." Kate crunched up her face as if a thought just occured to her. "But I am disappointed about dinner." 


	4. Chapter 4

When the door opened, Zoe welcomed Nick into her apartment. Nick, in return, hugged her. After a few drinks and small talk, the two sat down to dinner. 

"You like salmon, I hope." Zoe did her best to sound seductive, however Nick mistook her lower than usual voice for her catching a cold. 

"Salmon...yeah...I like it." Truth was, Nick could never get past the smell. He eyed the plate that was put in front of him. Asparagus. He wasn't thrilled with that either. And angel hair pasta in white sauce. Nick was wondering how he could get out of eating.

"I bet your other girlfriends and your partner don't make meals for you like this." Zoe boasted. 

"No, she's more the spaghetti and meatballs, hot dogs and chips, and cheeseburger type." Nick didn't come right out and say it, but he wasn't paying Zoe a compliment. In fact, he wished Kate was making him dinner.

"You won't believe what I came across today." Nick kept the comment casual.

Zoe rested her chin on her folded hands and listened intently on the man across from her.

Nick placed the open jewlery box on the table in front of her. For a moment, she only stared, unblinking, at the box. As a trained detective, he knew it wasn't only the look of suprise that kept her silent. She was thinking of something to say, most likely something untruthful.

"My locket. Where did you find this? I thought I'd lost it." Zoe reached to pick up the box, and when she did, O'Malley's hand stopped her. She looked to him for explanation.

"Tell me the truth, Zoe. How did Carl get the necklace in his possession?"

Zoe looked at Nick blankly, as if waiting for more words from him. "Carl?" 

Nick was not moved by her questioning of the name. Something in his gut said she was lying.

"Nick, I don't know anyone by the name of Carl, and I sure wouldn't have given something like this away. My God, I hope you believe that." 

Still looking through her, rather than at her, Nick stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?" She stood up, following him out of the dining room to the door.

"When you can be honest with me, Zoe, call me. Until than I'm going home." Nick grabbed the doorknob and nearly tripped over something in the entryway. Looking down, he recognized a familiar face as that of Carl's. 


	5. Chapter 5

Carl stood in his best, really only, suit and tie, holding flowers and a bottle of wine in his hands, shocked that he was looking into the face of O'Malley. Instinct told him to run, but as he once said, gnomes need love too, and the little link was going to stand his ground.

Just as shocked, Nick's eyes fell on Carl, than back to Zoe a few times before he spoke. "Got a hot date tonight, Carl?" 

The gnome stood straight. "That's my fiancee." 

"Nick, I was going to tell you, but...wait, don't leave."

Putting it together in his mind, Nick had only one thing to say. "You asked where I was going. I said home. I was going to tell you, but..." Nick shrugged his shoulders and smiled like none of this could touch him, "I'm going somewhere else." He began to leave.

"Where?" Zoe demanded.

With an arrogant grin, O'Malley turned once again. "To Kate's." He licked his lips and patted his stomach. "For some real food."

"The thing is, I'm not hurt. And neither is my pride." Nick confessed to Kate as they sat on her couch, a plate with hot dogs and chips balancing on their knees. 

Kate should have been happy, but she wasn't. Above it all, she hated seeing her friend betrayed the way he was. She believed him when he said it wasn't pain or a wound to his pride involving Zoe that he felt. But something told Kate something else was eating away at him, something she couldn't put her finger on. 

"And she couldn't cook. Least nothing edible." Nick added. "Not like this. Not like you." He shoved the rest of his hotdog in his mouth and got up to grab another.

"Is there anything else?"

"Like?"

"I don't know, you seem, preoccupied with..." Kate hesitated, she didn't want to pry into him tonight. She wanted to just be there for him, as his friend. 

"With what?" Nick sat back down next to her on the couch, setting another hot dog on her plate. Kate sighed. 

"I can't eat that, I'm full." 

"If anything, I'm upset that I had to scarf down salmon when I had a perfectly good hot dog waiting here for me, just to confront her on the necklace, and I didn't even get a reason." He smiled through his chewing, also giving her a wink. 

They talked long into the night, as good friends often do. When Kate got up to grab him a beer, she returned to find him asleep on her couch. She grabbed a blanket out of the hall closet and covered him. Before going to her room to also sleep, she took a few moments to watch Nick sleep. 

The hardest thing she had ever done was something she did everyday of her life since she met him. And that was not telling him just how much she loved him, or how she loved him. And being his friend was easy. But being just his friend was so damn hard. 

As the saying goes, so close, yet so far away.

Three hours later Nick was jolted awake by a loud and violent banging on the door. Whoever it was, didn't sound happy. Kate soon joined Nick in the living room. 

"Expecting someone?" Even though he was joking, Kate answered him.

"At this hour, I don't think so."

Nick's instinct was to protect Kate, so he grabbed the service weapon out of her hand and gently pushed her behind him.

"Who is it?" Nick's voice was strong dispite being just woken up.

When no response came but another angry series of knocking, Nick took position on the side of her door, gun raised to his chest. 

"I said who is it?" Nick used the second time of questioning to make sure Kate was out of the line of danger, which she was. But this time noone banged on the door. Instead, a quiet knock came, almost unnoticable unless you were listening real close. It was more eerie than the two before. His eyes adjusted to the dark, Nick unlocked the door, prepared to confront whoever was outside. 


	6. Chapter 6

ty for the reviews so far...on with the story...

Carl sat on the curb of the sidewalk near his home, which happend to be a hole in the ground, watching the roses he had bought his fiancee drift away down the gutter. One by one they disappeared until they existed nomore. Gnomes need love to, but for this gnome, love never seemed to find him. He sat watching the night pass by him, feeling alone, sad, and empty.

Across town O'Malley peered down the hallway of Kate's apartment. No sign of anyone. He walked to the main entryway where he saw no signs of anyone leaving quickly. The only apartment downstairs was vacant, and the two upstairs were rented by buisness men who were never home. Nick had reason to believe this was someone who did not reside within the building. 

When he turned around, Kate, as a good partner should, was directly behind him. 

"Come on, whoever it was is gone now." Nick said as he followed her back in. He played it cool in front of her, but something in his gut said something about that knock wasn't an innocent prank. He didn't like it, much less he liked the idea of her being there alone. "Guess I fell asleep." He sat back down on her couch, flipping on the light, and checking the time. Four am. He rubbed his eyes and leaned back into the couch as Kate sat in the chair next to him. 

"Nick..." Kate pressed her lips together tightly, a sign he knew meant she wasn't sure if she wanted to say what she started.

"Yes?" Nick knew it was going to come whether she was unsure or not.

"Nothing. I just wonder what Carl is going through now. That's all."

Nick unbuttoned his shirt sleeve buttons, reclined back, and threw the blanket over himself again. 

"I mean who does he really have?"

A loud sigh came from Nick. He pulled the blanket over his head before speaking. "Apparently, he has you..."

Kate looked over to him.

"...to feel sorry for him."

Kate did feel sorry for him. She felt badly for Nick too, but Nick could find anyone. He surely didn't have to look far, a few inches to his left really and he could locate what he was looking for, if a relationship was indeed what he wanted, she thought to herself. But Carl, how many chances did Carl have to find love?

She pondered the thought for a few minutes, than it dawned on her, Nick was back on her couch, sleeping.

"Are you asleep again?"

"Sound asleep." Nick mumbled.

Kate huffed and flipped off the light, retreating back to her room. They made sense. Perfect sense. With their type of work, they could never have a successful relationship because of too many secrets. As Nick said it once, theres too many things you can't talk about, things you can't say. They could talk to eachother about those things. No need for secrets between them. Attraction was never a problem for either of them. Nick's good looks drove her wild, and you could bounce a quarter off her ass. Above it all, they were the best of friends, which is the most important thing in a relationship. Kate couldn't understand why he so easily overlooked her. Sometimes she thought a good smack upside his head would do the trick. But instead, Kate waited around for Nick to notice her. She laid in bed hating the fact he was just in the other room when he could be in her bed with her.

Nick pulled the blanket back from over his head. Kate probley figured he was just too tired to drive home, and that was his reasons for staying. More than likely, she had no clue that he was there to protect her. That he would gladly die in her place. Chances are, it never occured to her how he felt about her, or how it frusterated him that he was lying on her couch, rather than in her room with her. But he knew Kate would never have him. She would never consider them as anything but friends and coworkers, partners. He realized it, but he figured when hell freezed over she would too, and only than, that they were made for eachother. They just fit. So, as most things he felt, he kept his feelings for Kate to himself, buried deep inside. Letting them out would only hurt her. In her eyes, he thought, it would probley lessen their friendship. And that he would never risk. 

About that time, Carl wandered back to his home underneath the ground. He had noone sleeping on his couch, noone to protect him. Carl didn't need protection from anything, but sometimes just knowing that your not alone, that someone has your back, it can do so much your the soul. That night Carl wished he walked in someone elses shoes, with someone elses life. He was almost 400 years old. He had not even seen half his lifetime yet. He couldn't imagine continuing through his time left like this. He was tired of being alone. 


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you all for the very kind reviews. I appreciate them all!

It was nearly eleven by the time Carl shluffed into headquarters wearing his head down. Nick was the first to see him walk in. 

"Hey, Carl." Kate greeted the little beared "man" with a softness to her voice. "The coffee's fresh." She handed him a cup and waited for him to speak as he nodded a "thank you." Kate looked almost motherly as she smiled down on him. Whispering something Nick couldn't overhear, the gnome smiled almost genuinly and took his coffee to his desk. Nick knew he should probley say something to him, but aside from a friendly punch in the teeth, the best way Nick knew how to show affection to him, he was at a loss. Kate kicked his leg from under the desk and gestured towards Carl. She lipped the words "go talk to him," but Nick instead went back to his computer.

At one pm, Carl told, not asked, the Captain for the remainder of the day off. Although speechless and gruff in his approval at the demand, Page did not object. Carl waved a fast goodbye to Kate, ignoring O'Malley, and headed towards the west side of town, to Zoe's apartment. 

When Zoe opened the door, Carl didn't say a word. He didn't have to, and they both knew it. He was there for an explination, one she owned him. She invited him in and they sat down to talk.

"I never intended on seeing Nick again. But when I saw him with that woman I..."

"Kate." Carl corrected her. 

"Right, Kate. I just couldn't let it go. You see, I knew back when I was seeing him before they had something else besides work going on between them. Suddenly I had my proof. I didn't want to just walk away like I did with Tom. I wanted to face them, let them know I knew.

"That's crap. O'Malley wouldn't cheat. He's a jerk, but there is one thing he is not, and that is a creep."

"Carl, I overheard them at a bar that night and she..."

"They were working."

"Uh huh. Working."

"Besides, O'Malley wouldn't have the guts to tell her how he..." Carl stopped himself. To much information. "He wasn't seeing Kate when he was seeing you. Or even now."

"I came back after four months of being away from Chicago so I could start my life over again. And I found that, with you. I never meant for it to go this way. Carl, I love you." The woman grabbed for Carl's hand, taking it in hers. Carl allowed her this, wanting to believe all she was saying was the truth. "You have to believe me. And I never believed all of the things he said about you anyway. Not after I met you."

Carl straightend up. "What who said?"

Zoe rolled her eyes with disgust as she said the name. "Nick. He used to go on and on about how he hated links, how he wanted them all dead and how you were going to be the last to go because you were useful around the department. He uses you, just like how he uses everyone who's unfortunate enough to meet him. You think he's your friend, but he's not. He's sick and I can't bare the thought of loosing you to him. He has already taken so much from me, Carl, he has." The woman began to sob. "He used to tell me about all the ways he knew of to kill you, and he would get this look, this look in his eyes, Carl." Her tears stopped only long enough to stress her words. "The look was scary." She continued to cry.

Crocodile tears are easy to spot on anyone, unless you love them, unless your heart wants to believe them. Than, sometimes, they can be overlooked, as in this case. Carl reached for her, pulling her close to him. 

"We have to stop him, Carl." Zoe said best she could through her cries. "I can't loose you. I won't loose you!"

Kate refused Nick when he offered to spend the night again on her couch. 

"I'm a big girl, Nick, and my gun is just as big as yours is..."

"Well, let's not hope so," was his smart ass reply.

Ignoring the comment, Kate finished the day up with promising to call him if anything weird went down, and a goodbye.

Tired from her work day, and from seeing her two friends go through so much all at the hands of one woman, Kate relaxed in a bubble bath, one candle casting a dim flickering light in the room. She closed her eyes and sunk under the water. Feeling something on top of her face, she instinctivly rose up, but was unable to. She struggled against the thing, but the need for air, she became desperate. For a second, she was able to fight her way to the surface, getting in one scream, and one gulp of air before she was violently pushed back under water. Just before blackness hit her completely, whoever, whatever had her leg go. 

Frantically she climbed out of the bathtub, weakend and still gasping and coughing for air. She threw on her robe and was fast on her way out of the bathroom. Colliding into Nick on her way out, and his way in, she nearly fell, but he managed to grab her, keeping her on her feet.

"Are you ok? Kate! I heard you scream, are you ok?" He asked, looking her up and down quickly for any signs of injury.

Kate shook her head, unable to say anything. Nick could feel she was trembling so he pulled her to him. She held on to him, collecting herself. Nick pulled away first. His eyes had caught something and she followed him back into the bathroom.

"What the hell is that?" Kate's voice was rough sounding. Nick shook his head.

"I don't know, but it's not good." 


	8. Chapter 8

"Look I don't care if your a cop or not, you need to file an order of protection against her and stop being stupid about this. It was her! She wants you out of the picture. That's why she left the locket on your sink. She wanted you to know it was her and to stay away from me. It was a sign!" An hour of trying to reason with Kate was getting him nowhere. Nick stood up from the couch and paced her living room floor.

Kate watched him walk from one end to the next. Had so much not been going on, she would have been mildly amused at his concern, and flattered by it all. 

"Sit down and relax, Nick." 

Nick continued to pace, picking up speed. 

"Sit down? Relax? That's great, Kate. Just great. I'm glad you can be so calm after my ex girlfriend just tried to kill you in your bathtub, than leaves a locket that I..." A look of realization hit his face. "She wasn't leaving the locket for you."

Kate looked up to Nick waiting for him to explain. She gave a long sigh, which meant that she was tired of the conversation.

"Kate, she left the locket for me to find. She didn't expect you to be around anymore to find it. Kate, she wasn't trying to warn you. She was trying to kill you."

"She just wasn't expecting you to be playing secret bodyguard outside my window." Kate said ryley.  
"Good thing I was too or..." 

Kate stood up as Nick's cell rang. She wandered into the kitchen to start some coffee, half listening to the one sided conversation he was having.

"O'Malley. Your kidding me. No but I...no but...get it in the works, I'll keep an eye on her myself."

She set two cups down on the table when Nick came into the kitchen. 

"She's out. They couldn't hold her on anything. Get dressed, pack a few things, your staying at my place."

Kate laughed. "Ahh, no I'm not."

Nick spun around, irritated at her for not taking this seriously. 

"Kate I'm not playing around here. Now we're going to head into work, get a jump start on things, than your coming back to my place with me, where I can keep an eye on you better. Now don't argue with your partner," Nick added in a smile, "and your best friend, or I'm going to have to..."

Kate interupted. "Club me over the head and drag me out by my hair?" She blinked several times flirtatiously.

A grin spread across O'Malley's face. "I was actually going to suggest something a little less violent, but if your into that sort of thing, I could always make an exception to please."

Kate handed him some coffee and started off to her bedroom to get changed for work. Naturally, seeing what he could get away with, Nick followed her.

"Hey, I'm getting dressed." Kate pointed to the kitchen, trying to shut her door. "You go back there and drink your coffee."

"Bodyguard service, ma'am, I think I am supposed to keep my eyes on you at all times." Nick pushed half his body inside. 

"I think you saw enough of me tonight, now go!" Kate once again tried shutting the door. 

"You sure about this?" Nick joked.

Kate put her hand on his forehead, shoving him back. 

"I'm positive!" When her door was closed, she leaned against it, smiling. In small ways, she could feel the two of them getting closer in a way they never were before. Her smile fell as she thought to herself, "it's just sad it took a jealous ex to try and kill me first."

"I don't know anything about the Giant that I haven't told you, I already told you!" Carl spun around in the chair, entertaining himself while the two detectives and Captain Page stewed. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell him." Page looked to Nick for an explination. 

"Carl, there isn't anybody you know who might have some information that could be helpful to us?" Kate's question was sincere, but mostly she interjected to lead Page off his latest interest between Carl and Nick. 

Carl stopped spinning long enough to answer her. "No. They keep to themselves. None of my peeps knew anything. Now if you people don't mind, I have a date I'd like to get to." 

"With who?" Nick stepped forward.

Carl muttered something under his breath noone heard.

"Carl, this is important, with who?" 

Page looked at Nick, than to Kate, than back to Carl. There was obviously something he was in the dark about.

"Would anyone care to shed some information on what I'm so obviously missing? Page's voice boomed throught his office.

"Last night the woman Carl and I were both seeing tried to kill Kate in her apartment."

Carl's attention snapped to Nick. "That's a lie, she did no such thing. I was with her all night last night. Your just jealous O'Malley because I won and you lost, to a gnome, I might add." 

"Your covering up for her." Nick became insensed.

"Am not." To annoy O'Malley, Carl began spinning in his chair again.

"CARL!" Carl, Kate, and Nick all jumped at the Captain's bellar. Carl used his hands on the desk to stop his motion, fast.

"I don't know what the hell is going on between the three of you, I'm damn sure going to find out, but if you have any information regarding the attack on Benson last night, you had better speak up, NOW!" Page towered over the gnome, demanding a response.

Carl's face relaxed, as he looked at Kate. "I honestly don't know anything about what happend last night, Kate. I was with Zoe all night. If I knew something, I would tell you. I swear."

"He's lying!" Nick stepped forward, ready to start something physical with the gnome, when Kate extended her arm out, stopping him. 

"I believe him, Nick. Let him leave. We have a Giant to worry about."

Carl jumped from the chair and headed out of the office. He paused, turning back towards the Captain and two detectives. 

"I won't be coming back to work here again. I just wanted you to know that. Stick me in the hole, I don't care. But I'm not coming back. And Kate, I'm real sorry something happend to you last night. I think your a great lady, and I wouldn't wish any bad on you." 


	9. Chapter 9

"We aren't going to win this one, are we?" Kate asked Nick over the table, looking into her glass of wine. 

Nick hesitated. He wanted to tell Kate they would, as they always did, but the day after tomorrow would be the last day they had to stop the Giant, before the world, as they knew it, would come crashing down on them, literally. Days and nights were spent working round the clock, but they were no closer to stopping it than they were the day the case crossed their desks. Instead of answering her, he finished off his bottle of beer and picked up the check. 

"Finally got to buy you that dinner I owed you." He smiled, but there was a fear apparent on his face, one he tried, and failed, at keeping from her. "Let's go back to my place and get our minds off it. I think it would do us good, there's nothing we can do anymore tonight. Put everything on hold for now, start the day fresh tomorrow, with clear minds, ok?"

Kate followed him out of the resturant and to his car. Both their minds and hearts were heavy, but they did their best at staying positive for the other. They agreed to catch a pay per view once they got back and spend the rest of the night grazing on chips and ice cream. However, when they reached his apartment, both sat on the couch without turning on the tv. Neither spoke for awhile. Kate was the first to break the silence.

"Are you scared?" She didn't look at him when he answered her, and he took longer to respond than she thought he would. He also didn't answer how she thought he would.

"Yes." Nick stared straight ahead. "Aren't you?"

Kate nodded her head. "For the first time, I just don't see a way out of this." She thought for a second, than asked him something that was on her mind for a long time. "Do you think Carl knew what we needed to know?"

"No. I think he was telling us the truth on that one. Wouldn't trust him with a dollar bill, but this, yeah, he was being honest." Nick turned towards Kate, his body positioned towards her on the couch. They were inches apart. "But there was something."

Kate also turned his way. "Something? Like what?''

"I don't know, just a feeling. Like he knew something he wasn't telling us. Gut feeling tells me so."

"Yeah, but what?" Kate was sincere in her tone. She learned long ago to trust his gut, as he trusted in hers. It's the key to a successful partnership.

Nick half shook his head. "I don't know. I guess we'll never know."

"Your upset about him, aren't you. Not that I blame you, you two were friends, even if the two of you would rather have bamboo sticks shoved under your fingernails rather than admit it." 

Nick stiffled a laugh. "Upset about it? Well the day after tomorrow it won't matter anymore. None of us will be around anymore to care." 

Kate shot him a look, saying that's the last thing on earth she wanted to hear. Nick caught it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Smiling, he did his best to console his friend. "Hey, partner."

Kate looked up again. 

"We're going to be ok. Trust me." He added his trademark cocky smirk, which he knew, always made her feel better, for whatever reason. She smiled back and agreed with him. "We will live to see another day, and I'll live to come to your rescue in the bathtub again. Maybe this time I'll be fast enough to catch you before you toss on your robe." His grin broadend and she leaned over to smack him a good one for that comment, when he grabbed her by the wrists, good defence manuver on his part. He saw a golden opportunity and took it. Still holding her wrists above her head, he pulled her towards him. Both loosing their balance, Kate fell on top of Nick. Face to face, things got quiet between them and they stopped laughing, smiles disappearing off their faces. Nick slowly loosened his grip on her, until he was holding her nomore. His hands went to the sides of her face as he leaned up, brushing his lips with hers. When he didn't feel her pull away, he opened his mouth for the kiss, starting off very slow. Nick was a second away from taking the friendly show of affection to another level when his front door flew open. Standing in the doorway was Zoe. Her appearance caused both Kate and Nick to recoil. 


	10. Chapter 10

Hope you all like it so far. This will be the conclusion to Gnomes Need Love To. Thank you all for reading it, and thank you even more to those of you who took the time to review it. Happy fic writing and reading everyone! Oh yeah, the disclaimer...I've woken up everyday so far not owning Special Unit 2 or any of it's characters. I will wake up tomorrow still not owning it or them. If I did, it would still be on the air and it would continue to be on the air for many seasons to come. I would also have to add a shower scene where Nick dropped his towel right in front of the camera! Alas, I do not own it and never will. On to the rest of the story.

"Holy shit!" Nick couldn't take his eyes off the form that stood before them. Kate scrambled to get up off of her partner. 

"Nick." Kate whispered. "What is that thing?" 

Both stood in shock, and horror, realizing what was happening. Zoe's skin had begun to split, allowing the growth to take place from human to Giant form. The woman looked like she had been involved in a fight with a razor blade, and although no blood seeped from the wounds, she was a horrific sight. Although she was not much larger at this stage, parts of her body had already began to undergo the change, as areas of her were unproportioned. The sounds of the stretching skin could be heard well, and she seemed to be in pain, as she occasionally jerked in a grotesque manner. Her eyes rested on O'Malley.

Being caught off guard and not armed well, aside from a .38 for home protection, which Nick didn't figure would work well against the link, they were in a deadly jam. Their only protection was to back up slightly, putting distance between them and the Giant.

Nick, unsure of what else he could do, aimed and emptied the guns ammo into the link. It had no effect. The bullets hit their target, but the creature didn't blink. Nick tossed the gun aside and crossed his arm over Kate, pushing her back a few steps, until both were backed up against his living room wall. 

The link half circled them, the way any creature would his prey. Both detectives searched for an alternate escape route, but none was found. They were cornered. 

It's eyes remained on Nick for some time, but when there was nowhere to go, it turned its gaze upon Kate. In one fast motion, it lunged for her, ripping her away from Nick into it's grasp. Nick was powerless to stop it. He tried to stop the assault, but the thing grabbed him by the bottom jaw, sending him flying across the room. He fell onto a table, breaking it, along with his arm. Dispite the pain, he pulled himself back to a standing position, charging at them, determined to get Kate away from it, setting his own safety aside. 

"Anything to protect her," was all his mind would think.

"I will rip her heart out." The link sneered, whipping Kate around so her back was against the links chest. The thing than placed her hand on Kate's chest, right where her heart would be. Nick stopped dead in his tracks, looking at his partner in total confusion on what to do next. He couldn't form words to offer the link for an appeal for mercy, to let his friend go. The look on Kate's face told Nick she believed this was it, this was the way she was going to die. 

With one tear on her cheek, and sincerity in her voice, Kate told Nick to leave. Dying she could do, but knowing her best friend was also going to die she could not. She pleaded with the man to run, but Nick refused. 

The link's skin began to split so severely now, peices of it were falling off to the ground at their feet. Nick could tell by it's stance the time for it to kill was now. 

Just as he was about to fight, something grabbed the bottom of his shirt, keeping him from moving forward. Nick looked down to find Carl holding him back. This got the attention of not only Kate and Nick, but the link as well. In it's distraction, it loosened it's grip on Kate enough for her to get free of it. Nick pulled her into his arms as Carl stepped forward.

"Somethings occured to me that didn't add up, princess." Carl tugged on his beard as he spoke. "Nick doesn't like me to be seen in public in fear I may be discovered, so why would he discuss the link world with you? The time frame you were gone too got me thinking. And your jealousy...whoo hoo, your jealousy. You used me to get to Nick. You used Nick to get to Kate. You used Kate to get to Nick. You wanted the SU2 team gone...dead. I'm sorry, sweetheart, as good lookin' as you once were, I gotta call off our engagement, pumpkin." Carl raised the Special Unit 2 gun to her chest, ready to fire it. Nick and Kate saw he had choosen the red ammo. Looking at eachother, knowing a large explosion was soon to come, they both took cover. "One more thing, snookums, that ring I got you, it was a fake." Carl smiled smuggly at the link and pressed the triggar, sending bits of link flesh to rain down on most of Nick's apartment.

Carl and Nick watched the explosion with awe until the SU2 task force, alerted by the gnome, came crashing into the living room. 

"Better late than never, guys." Carl scoffed, brushing himself off.

Nick helped Kate to her feet, again hugging her. 

As the task force quickly got the fire under control, Nick and Kate went in search of Carl. They found him sitting alone in the hallway. 

Kate began to speak, but was cut off by Nick.

"I think I'll get this one, Kate." Nick looked at Carl, croutching down so they could be eye level. "You saved Kate's life. And mine. Thank you, friend." Nick extended his hand out to the little gnome. The gnome was touched by the words, as was Kate. Carl took O'Malley's hand to shake it, putting aside all their differences. 

Nick pulled Carl into a hug, looking at Kate, than back to the gnome. "You saved her life." He repeated. "I never thought I would live to see the day the two of you shared such a tender moment." Kate said, almost crying.

"Of course," O'Malley grabbed Carl in a headlock, "there is the matter of MY APARTMENT AND THE FACT YOU USED RED AMMO ON IT!" Carl struggled against the pressure being put on his head by Nick. Kate sighed, rolled her eyes, and in a huff stormed off grumbling about how nothing ever changes. Few SU2 agents even bothered to look up as the detective and the gnome duked it out over the next few minutes.

Hours later, when the apartment was clear of everyone besides the three friends, Kate offered to bring the car around so they could all go back to Kate's apartment for a pizza. After she was gone, Nick asked the gnome if he was ok.

After a long thought, Carl answered his buddy. "I am. My heart will mend, as does everyones when a love doesn't work out."

Nick nodded in silent agreement.

"Besides," Carl added, "her breasts were way too small."

When the pizza was gone, and the gnome was on his way out the door. "See ya at work tomorrow, guys!"

Nick glanced around Kate's apartment, smirking. 

"I guess I can hang my hat here for a few weeks."

"What?'' Kate demanded, her voice hitting a high note.

"Well it's going to take a few weeks for them to reconstruct my apartment, would you have your best friend be homeless for that time? But one thing, the couch," Nick nodded his head, "it's not really good on my back. I think your bed would probley be a more comfortable place to sleep."

Kate just laughed as Nick leaned in for the rest of the kiss that was disrupted earlier that night. "Now where were we?"

"I think right about here...," was all Kate got in before they were wrapped up in another kiss."

The summer night air hit Carl's face when he stepped onto the sidewalk, on his way home from Kate's apartment. He removed the diamond ring from his pocket, looking at it for a brief amount of time, than tucking it back in. He took a long breath in, thinking over the nights events as he walked. 

"Excuse me, hello! Watch where your going!" A woman's voice snapped from up above. Carl, who had been in his own little world of recollecting, did not see or feel himself run into the girl. He looked up in suprise. 

"Oh, I'm sorry I..." Carl's mouth flew open wide.

"Hey, I know you, don't I?'' The woman said, loosing some of her irritance. "Carl, right?"

"Yeah, it's me, Carl!" 

"Mmmm hmm, you told me we were going to have a little misunderstanding, and you never showed up." The woman pouted, gently guiding Carl by his beard into her car. "Let's have that now, my little lover boy."

Carl could think of one thing as he freely accepted the ride with the blonde Ms. Understanding, "Gnomes need love to!"

THE END! 


End file.
